60) King of Clubs [5]

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"So the question remains... How do I make my game merciful? How do I make my game trivial to clear, without violating the Joker's principles? Could I possibly outsmart a god?"

===Karamu Toshiaki===

– – – – – –

7th Day of Exhibitions, previous immigration cycle

Jack of Spades: Zombie Apocalypse

"Rose, play the sound now!" Hideo's voice boomed through the intercom.

I was hiding under the desk, and as the toner sounded through the hallways, the zombies turned their heads at the noise.

The school is filled with life-like "zombie" humanoids, down to their smell, flesh, and blood. They'll chase down both players and the citizen. If one manages to bite you, it's Game Over.

The Jack of Spades is roaming the school, controlling the hive mind through his means.

If the Jack of Spades dies, it's Game Clear to all players. If all players die, it's Game Over.

Their grumbling thundered, as they began clambering over each other, running towards the source of the noise. Our plan was working; we were cornering the Jack of Spades.

The players had managed to discover that the "zombies" are controlled through high-frequency noise.

I flinched, covering my ears, as the shrieking beep kept streaming out the speakers. The classroom I was in cleared, and I stood up, exiting my hiding spot and peeking my head out the door, where the hallways were emptying.

"Hanna, N, you two play corners two and three!" Hideo blasted.

Some of the zombies reversed in directions, and I hid back in my room, as they split up, sprinting towards every source of noise.

"Everyone, now!" He shouted again.

I burst from my classroom, as did Rose from down the hall. I caught up to her, the two of us high-fiving in the process, as we sprinted up the stairs to the roof.

The girl in dreads was waiting in a fighting stance, the Jack of Spades opposite of her, wielding two knives.

Hideo, Hanna, and N emerged from the other door, and N charged in with a baseball bat, but the girl stopped her.

"No!" She smirked, turning back to the Jack of Spades. "He's mine."

In the end, the fight was quick. And like that, the Jack of Spades was dethroned, the second game we had cleared, other than the Jack of Clubs, where we helped a girl clear the game to extend the Visa of a child even younger than us.

After the kind girl with the dreads waved us goodbye, who was the only other survivor, Hideo turned to us as the blimp came crashing down below.

"Only three games remain now." He said. "It's time we discuss something important." In the horizon, something exploded. We craned our heads; it was the Queen of Clubs.

"Two games. I stand corrected." Hideo said. "But I digress. The key matter at hand is a certain theory circulating the Borderlands. I'm sure you have all heard of it: after clearing every card, we get the option of choosing whether to accept citizenship."

Hanna raised her eyebrow. "Where have you heard that?"

"Don't question my judgment. If you must know, it's a theory that supposedly came from two victors of the Jack of Hearts, who tortured the information out of the Jack."

"So... Let me guess." N said. "You want to know if we want to accept."

He smiled. "Astute as per usual, N. Yes, that is what I wish to know, because I, for one, would love to accept permanent residency in this world."

"Sorry, but no." Rose said, without a moment of hesitation, latching onto my arm.

"That's a pass from me too." Hanna said.

"If they're all returning, then so will I." N said.

Hideo's smile faded, in place of a firm, creased, look of disapproval. "Even after everything that the world has rejected from you, and everything that I've done for you, you four would still rather return?"

Hanna shifted, arms crossed. "Well... It's not about that. It's about the four of us."

"The four of you?" Hideo asked. "Where will the four of you be back in the old world without me?"

"He's right, you know." N said. "I'm personally doing whatever all of you do, but... If we return without him, we'll... Have nothing again."

"The foster system will likely split us up again..." Hanna murmured.

"And, at your age," Hideo said, turning to me and Rose, "it's very unlikely someone would want to adopt two teens, even if they're siblings. Even you two will likely be separated."

Me and Rose made eye contact, both of us silent.

"Alright." Hanna said. "I'll stay here."

"Hanna..." I mumbled.

"No... We'll truly have no one then." Rose said. "I'd rather stay here than risk losing you." She turned to me, then to the other two. "And you two as well."

"Well, if you're all staying, then that makes my choice for me." N said with a nod.

"Alright, it's settled then." Hideo said, the smirk returning to his face. "We will all be accepting citizenship.

– – – – – –

Time left: 20 min.

Player: 11,000
Ashikaga: 2,800
Chihaya: 4,300
Judumai: 3,700
Aulia: 2,100
Benkei: 100

Citizen: 37,500

Hideo: 1,750
Karamu: 5,000
Rose: 12,417
Hanna: 1,417
N: 11,417

It is unknown who obtained the +3,000 and +2,500 Item

'What's even the point?' I thought, my eyes glued to the floor, as I patrolled the alleyways. 'In the end, we managed to stick together, but at what cost? We're together, but our survival can barely be considered life. This is what–what did Hideo say? The fifteenth team that we'll kill? Is this price worth us being able to maintain our friendship?'

And knowing them only brightened the burn, amplified the guilt. Ashikaga, the cheerful girl, an airhead at first glance, who was a formidable opponent beneath her demeanor. Chihaya, the man who took charge and always remained calm, clearing the way for his friends.

And again, I would be responsible for their deaths. Their blood would be on my hands.

I glanced at the scoreboard; we led by an astounding 16,500 points, and only twenty minutes were left. 'There would be no more chance at a recovery. They had likely already given up.'

Sighing, I leaned against one of the containers, resting my eyes, when a faint yell caught my attention.

"Karamu! Are you around here?"

The voice was female–Ashikaga's.

"Karamu? We just want to talk!"

That was Chihaya's. I gasped, perking my head. "I'm here!" I shouted, turning the corner and tracing their source of the noise. They weren't far; I bumped into them only a couple alleys away.

"...Hey." I said.

Chihaya and Ashikaga seemed different; their demeanors were a lot more open and inviting. Ashikaga let out a slight, yet undeniably genuine smile. "Hey."

"So, I assume all your other friends are guarding the Base?" He asked.

"Yeah... They sent me to do one final scouting loop, then return once the timer hits ten minutes."

"Karamu, I just want to apologize for how cold I was towards you earlier." Ashikaga said, walking up to me. "I know you understand I was just trying to be astute, but I should've shown more empathy."

My eyes widened, but I nodded, giving her a slight bow. "It's okay, you don't have to be sorry. Actually... I'm the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have let Hideo go so far with Judumai."

Chihaya shrugged. "I'm sure we all understand. It was Hideo; there wasn't anything you could do given the chance. In fact, I understand that feeling–the feeling of being utterly helpless, unable to save someone–all too well..." His eyes lost their focus, as he seemed to zone out, deep in reflection.

I remained silent, playing with my thumbs, before speaking again. "Can... Can I ask you guys a question?"

Chihaya sat down within reach of me, evident he had lost any concern for the points or Battles. "Go on."

"What... What would you guys do if you cleared this game? Clear it somehow... Then survive until the end?"

"Until the end?" Chihaya asked. "Well, right after I leave this venue, which is a quite improbable gamble as of this moment... I'd... Go to the grave of someone who was important to me who I've lost. I'd tell her... All the things I did, have done, and feel... Then do everything in my power to go home soon."

Ashikaga shrugged. "I could ramble on, but in the end my answer isn't any less generic than anyone else's. I'd go back with all the new friends I have, and get to see all my old friends and family again."

I smiled. "That's... You both are... So genuine. I wish you could've lived."

"Well, the truth is..." Ashikaga crouched, so that she was at my level. "We do have an idea, Karamu. Something that could turn this game around."

"Oh?" My breathing paused, and my eyes darted between the two of them, my feet stepping away. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Karamu, we're telling you this because we trust you. You have shown that you have a heart of fire, the bravest out of all your friends, who's not afraid to defy Hideo to do what you think is right. We need your help."

"My... My help?" I asked. "But... But that'd mean betraying my teammates!"

"You don't have to agree to it." Chihaya said. "But all we ask for is one very simple thing. We plan to attack your Base, and when we do, we want you to simply do nothing. Don't attempt to tag any of us."

"Even if I want for you all to live, what right do I have to also make that choice for my friends?" I asked. "If I agree, I'd... I'd be killing them too... But then again, at this point... Has us being able to stick together been worth it?"

My eyes grew damp, and I balled my fists. "Was it worth it? We didn't have to risk being split up in the foster system? But at what cost? Now we have to wade through corpses and be under Hideo's constant surveillance? Was this worth it!"

I rubbed my eyes, crying out. "I don't w-want to die either. I'm only twelve. B-But... I don't want to keep killing people! We may be together now, but at least if we chose to go back to the previous world and were split apart, we would've still been free!"

Chihaya's face held a deep frown, as he approached, reaching towards my shoulder, but paused. The world was a blur through my lens of tears, but his figure moved closer, and his hand met my shoulder. Our bracelets chimed.

"Battle!"

Player - 4,300 VS 7,500 - Citizen
-500 +500
Player - 3,800 • 8,000 - Citizen

"There has been an exchange of points between teams."

Player - 10,500 • 35,500 - Citizen
-500 +500

He ignored the Battle, and instead just pulled me into a hug. My head was buried at his side, but he held on, the fabric of his coat soaking my tears. After a minute, I let go.

"So... You had the +2,500 Item." Was all he said, returning a smile.

"Yes... Hideo was the one who obtained the +3,000 Item." I said, rubbing my arm. With the hug over, my cheeks flushed, and I was at a loss for words. Finally, I sighed, and nodded. "I... I will help you. I won't tag any of you when you all attack our Base. I'm sure... I'm sure that my friends... They'll understand. They won't be mad at me."

Ashikaga and Chihaya both gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Karamu." She said. "You are one of the bravest people I've ever met."

"I won't forget this, ever." Chihaya said.

"So what is your plan anyways?" I asked. "How do you plan to attack our Base with five–well, I guess four now–people all guarding it?"

Chihaya leaned in and whispered the plan into my ears. I nodded. "Okay. Okay. That's smart."

"And we need to start soon." Ashikaga said. "It's almost–"

"Oh no!" I yelled, turning to the timer, which was a couple seconds away from hitting the last ten minutes. "I was here for too long, Hideo will–"

"KARAMU! GET BACK TO THE BASE; YOU WERE MEANT TO BE BACK HERE AT THE TEN MINUTE MARK!" His voice sliced through the air, like a sudden ripple.

"It's okay!" Chihaya said. "Hurry back, and we will too. Tell him you managed to get one final Battle in, and that we've all given up."

I nodded. "Alright. Good luck." Giving them one last look, I turned around, and ran back to my team's Base.

===Aulia Choi===

"There you guys are!" I shouted, as Ashikaga and Chihaya emerged in the distance. "We were so worried, did you–"

"Yes!" Ashikaga shouted, bouncing up and down. "He said yes! And we're certain he wasn't lying, the emotion he showed was so raw and genuine, it couldn't have been faked."

"What about that one Battle?" Benkei asked.

"I gave the kid a hug." Chihaya said. "In the end, our 30,000 points we get will account for it."

Benkei nodded. "Yeah. Kid probably needed one."

"We have less than ten minutes left, we need to get going!" Ashikaga said. "Come on, let's get Judumai's shoes first."

"Alright." Benkei said, taking Judumai's shoes off his feet. "Wait. Are we going to get Aulia ready at our Base or near their Base?"

"Our Base." Chihaya answered. "Even though it'll take a while longer to get there if we kit Aulia out here, it's just relatively more safe."

"Got it."

With that, Ashikaga pulled her hoodie off, as did Chihaya with his shirt. Everyone began undressing.

– – – – – –

"It's batshit crazy, but I think I have an idea." Ashikaga said.

"Huh? Something that could get two of us to touch their Base with all five of them guarding it?" I asked.

Ashikaga held the king's robe between her hands, which was folded into a thick square. Then, she dropped it, and walked over to Chihaya, who stood beside her. "Chihaya, hold your hand out."

He did so, his palms facing up. Ashikaga put her own palm, facing his palm, but not touching it. The space between their hands was less than a centimeter.

"We're not touching." Ashikaga said. "We're less than a centimeter apart, yet it doesn't count us as touching."

Chihaya looked at his bracelet. "Well, yeah, because... We're not touching. What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Check this out." Ashikaga said, bending down and picking up the layer of fabric. She placed it in Chihaya's hand, then put her hand back on top of that, so the robe separated their hands by a width. "The cloth is between us, separating our contact even more."

"Oh my god..." Chihaya's eyes widened. "I think I get your idea."

"Even when we were less than a centimeter apart, the bracelets still don't register contact since we're not making skin-to-skin contact. With the layer of insulation between us, the width is even greater, and we definitely wouldn't be making contact if we were holding our hands from this distance without the cloth. But with the cloth... We can't close the distance even if we wanted to. A single layer of clothing still permits contact because at a microscopic scale, your skin would likely just touch through the threads. But when you add layers and layers of clothing, that becomes impossible."

"So... If we pile all our clothes together..." Benkei said.

"We can wrap someone in several centimeters of cloth, head to toe, and make an indestructible warrior." I finished.

– – – – – –

One hoodie and sweater belonged to Ashikaga, and Chihaya had one coat. Combined with Judumai's windbreaker and the shirt I was already wearing, it was several layers of insulation, plus the king's cape and tunic at the very outside. Between the third and fourth layers of clothing, we stuffed two shoes between the fabric at the front and back of my stomach, to provide even more space between me and my skin.

Ashikaga and Chihaya were both wearing a pair of plaid pajamas underneath their pants, so her jeans and his black pants were added to my armory, in combination with my own pair of shorts. Benkei was only wearing shorts, but he opted to take them off and contribute it to my protection, at the expense of him now only wearing his shirt and underwear, much to the consternation of me and Ashikaga.

I pulled up the hood of Ashikaga's jacket, and Benkei helped me put on the goggles and mask from the king's costume since my dexterity was becoming restricted. Chihaya wrapped my head with Ashikaga's scarf, and Benkei also tossed Judumai's shirt–after carefully extracting it from his body–over my head for an added layer of protection, since Judumai wasn't conscious either way.

My feet were bare; my shoes would be needed for other parts of the plan, but running on tile in socks wouldn't allow me to be agile. However, it'd be unlikely they'd attempt to reach so low to touch me anyways; this was simply a risk we needed to gamble on. The socks were pulled over my hands, acting as hand guards. However, my thumb on my left hand was hanging out of the socks; it would be necessary to take off the socks on the other hand, for when I needed to enact one of the parts of the attack.

Benkei took the belt from the pair of trousers, and looped it into a makeshift garrote; this was an added measure, both to aid Benkei, or in case Karamu turned against us. He handed it to Chihaya, who accepted with a nod.

Out of the ten shoes distributed between all of us, I had two as insulation, Chihaya had three, and the remaining five belonged to Benkei. Benkei held one in his dominant hand, two in his non-dominant hand, and kept two tied loosely together by their shoelaces slung around his shoulder for easy carrying and retrieval.

We worked in complete silence, but by the time we were done, there was no time remaining to waste; every minute–every second–that was left was precious.

We finished with six minutes to spare, and at a very fast pace, thanks to Chihaya's navigation, we could make it across the map in just under two minutes, leaving four minutes for the attack, which should only take one minute–hell, maybe even thirty seconds.

In the end, I was covered head-to-toe in several layers of clothing. Ashikaga had a pajama bottom and her bra on left, Chihaya had a t-shirt and his pajama bottoms on, Judumai was left with only a pair of shorts, and Benkei only had on a t-shirt and underwear.

"It's time." Chihaya said, looking at the clock. "Come on! Aulia, how're you holding up?"

Though my movements were hobbles, my feet were bare, and that was all that mattered. "Don't slow down for me!"

"Come on, let's roll!" Benkei commanded, as we left our Base, Judumai laying against the pole. "Judumai, this is us avenging you, buddy!"

The air felt different as we left our Base: now, there were no more Battles to fear or Items to search for, only one final attack. One that each of our lives, and the lives of four children too, all depended on.

And, in a way, the venue seemed smaller, as if propelling us towards our attack. "Aulia, right turn then left, and you'll arrive!" Chihaya said. "But like we said, don't walk out until I give the sign!"

I nodded, splitting off. Chihaya, who knew the map best, would drop all three of us on each side of the clearing, and when he got to the final side, he would let out a scream, notifying us to move out. If I was facing away from Hideo, then Chihaya, who would always be to my side, would call Hideo to face him via a taunt, which would land him in my reach.

After a short run, I had made it to the edge of the clearing, a small pathway leading up to it. I peeked past the container I hid behind; Hideo was facing my direction. It made sense, now that I thought about it; the

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